Thanet Extension Offshore Wind Farm

What happens next

A decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for Thanet Extension Offshore Wind Farm was taken on 01 June 2020 and has now been issued.

The period for legal challenge is defined in s118 of the Planning Act 2008. Further information about legal challenge can be found in the letter sent to all Interested Parties accompanying the Secretary of State’s decision and statement of reasons.

If you have any queries about the process please email the Planning Inspectorate at [email protected] or telephone the helpline on 0303 444 5000.

Timeline (46 items)

The Secretary of State has refused development consent for this application. For further information please refer to the following decision documentation:

Planning Inspectorate Notification of Decision Letter

Secretary of State Decision Letter

Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report

Regulation 31 Notice

Habitats Regulations Assessment

Correspondence received after the close of the Examination

02 June 2020

The Secretary of State’s decision on this application will be made available as soon as possible.

02 June 2020
Decision made by the Secretary of State
01 June 2020

IMPORTANT: As a result of ongoing Government guidance relating to COVID-19 the Planning Inspectorate is seeking to ensure that all Parties are notified of key developments on projects, in a timely manner. In order to help achieve this, and to minimise any delays which could arise if the postal service is affected, it would be extremely helpful if registered Parties that have not already done so could supply us with a contact e-mail address as soon as possible (details in the contact information heading of the project page).

Please be assured that this information will be managed in line with our Privacy Notice.

25 March 2020

A Written Ministerial Statement has been made announcing that the decision by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has been delayed until 1 June 2020.

Comments from Interested Parties on the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Request for Comments have been published.

06 February 2020

The Secretary of state for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has requested comments from Vattenfall Wind Power Limited, Interested Parties and Other Parties on the Thanet Extension Offshore Wind Farm. The Secretary of State will be setting a new deadline for a decision. A statement confirming the new deadline for a decision will be made to the House of Commons and House of Lords in accordance with section 107(7) of the Planning Act 2008 as soon as possible.

07 January 2020

The Secretary of state for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has requested information and comments from Vattenfall Wind Power Limited, Interested Parties and Other Parties on the Thanet Extension Offshore Wind Farm. The Secretary of State will be setting a new deadline for a decision. A statement confirming the new deadline for a decision will be made to the House of Commons and House of Lords in accordance with section 107(7) of the Planning Act 2008 as soon as possible once Parliament is in session.

22 November 2019
Recommendations given by the Planning Inspectorate
11 September 2019

The Examination closed at 23.59 on 11 June 2019.

Notification of completion of the Examination has been issued and the Examination Library has been updated.

12 June 2019
11 June 2019
The Examination closes on Tuesday 11 June 2019.
11 June 2019

The Deadline 7 submissions have now been published.

Interested Parties are reminded that Deadline 8 on 10 June 2019 is the final deadline in the Examination and will close at 5pm.

07 June 2019

The Examining Authority has issued questions under Rule 17. The general deadline for responses is Deadline 6A Monday 3 June 2019 (although some questions provide a longer response time to Deadline 7).

Comments on responses may be made by Deadline 7: Thursday 6 June 2019.

The Applicant may make a final reply to any comments at Deadline 8: Monday 10 June 2019 at 5pm.

The Deadline 6 and Deadline 6A submissions have now been published.

30 May 2019
16 May 2019

The Examining Authority has published its commentary on the draft Development Consent Order (dDCO) and seeks input from Interested Parties by Deadline 6 and comments on input by Deadline 7.

07 May 2019

The Deadline 5A submissions have been published.

07 May 2019

The Deadline 5 submissions have been published.

02 May 2019

The Audio recordings and Action Points for: Issue Specific Hearings 8-9 and Compulsorily Acquisition Hearing 2 are now published and available below.

Recording of hearings
ISH8 Action Points 1/2
ISH8 Action Points 2/2
ISH9 Action Points
CAH2 Action Points

26 April 2019
18 April 2019

Republished Further Written Questions, with the amended numbering of questions, issued by the Examining Authority.

15 April 2019

The Submissions for Deadline 4C have now been published.

11 April 2019
10 April 2019

The Examining Authority has issued a Rule 8(3) Variation to the Examination Timetable, a Rule 9 Notification of Procedural Decision and s51 Advice Letter to guide the Applicant and Interested Parties responding to the Applicant’s request for a Material Change to the Application to provide for a Structures Exclusion Zone (SEZ) in the wind turbine array area offshore. The Agendas for Issue Specific Hearings 8 & 9 and Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 2 commencing on 16 April have been published.

09 April 2019

The Deadline 4B submissions have been published.

08 April 2019

The Examining Authority has issued a Rule 8(3) Variation to the Examination Timetable and a Rule 9 Notification of Procedural Decision Letter to guide the Applicant and Interested Parties preparing for April hearings. The itinerary for Accompanied Site Inspection 2 to the London Ports on 15 April has been published. Agendas for hearings commencing on 16 April will be published after the Examining Authority’s consideration of documents submitted for new Deadline 4B.

04 April 2019

The Deadline 4 submissions have been published

29 March 2019

The Examination Library which was published following Deadline 3 has been amended. Examination Library references for deadline 3 have been updated.

22 March 2019

The Examining Authority have issued a Rule 9 – notification of procedural decision letter.

15 March 2019
12 March 2019

The Deadline 3 Submissions have been published.

12 March 2019

The Examining Authority have issued a Rule 8(3) Variation to the Examination Timetable. This letter also contains Notification of Issue Specific and Compulsory Acquisition Hearings scheduled for April 2019.

01 March 2019

The Audio recordings and Action Points for: Issue Specific Hearings 3 – 7, Compulsorily Acquisition Hearing 1 and Open Floor Hearing 1 are now published and available below.

Recordings and Action Points of ISH3
Recordings and Action Points of ISH4
Recordings and Action Points of ISH5
Recordings and Action Points of ISH6
Recordings and Action Points of ISH7
Recordings and Action Points of CAH1
Recordings and Action Points of OFH1

28 February 2019
07 February 2019

Read the letter

The Examination Timetable (Rule 8 letter) has been sent to Interested Parties

Procedural decision following Preliminary Meeting

18 December 2018
  • Preliminary Meeting takes place
  • Examination begins
11 December 2018

The notification of Preliminary Meeting (Rule 6 letter) has been sent Read the letter

The letter also includes the draft Examination Timetable and Initial Assessment of Principal Issues.

09 November 2018
Relevant representations published on the website
21 September 2018
Registration of interested parties closes
12 September 2018
Registration of interested parties begins
01 August 2018
Read the letter

The application has been accepted for examination

23 July 2018
Decision on whether or not to accept the application for examination
23 July 2018

This application was received by the Planning Inspectorate on 27 June 2018.

The application documents will be made available if the application is accepted for examination.

It is for the applicant to decide whether or not application documents can be published upon submission (see MHCLG pre-application guidance).

29 June 2018
Application received by the Planning Inspectorate
27 June 2018